


lost in illusion (my world set aside)

by EtceterasEverywhere



Series: respite [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Dan is Flowey/Asriel, Flash Fic Fest: Dan And Phil GAMES!, Inspired By Undertale, It's not explicit tho, Phil is Papyrus, Undertale Alternative Universe, kind of, kinda angsty, mentions of violence and murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 20:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17567150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtceterasEverywhere/pseuds/EtceterasEverywhere
Summary: Dan can restart timelines and in the process of losing himself he finds Phil.Also called: Dan was the Underground prince and now is a soulless flower who can only find solace in the company of a weird skeleton.





	lost in illusion (my world set aside)

**Author's Note:**

> so this is my first fic published for this fandom. i really liked the idea of the Flash Fic Fest, and i gave it a try, hope is not horrendous or anything.
> 
> the story it's settled in the universe of Undertale so you kind of need to know the story of Undertale to understand completly this, sorry! hopefully this doesn't just make sense in my head D:
> 
> it's kind of angsty, but basically plays under the idea of Dan (flowey) restarting the same timeline over and over again and him finding Phil (who is papyrus) 
> 
> hope you all enjoy it!

Snow was falling slowly on the roofs of all the houses in Snowdin, the soft sound it made as it fell muffled the sound of the river flowing over the edge of the small town, even the noise of the inhabitants’ voices. Even the murmur of children, guards and hurried footsteps of a place that would take a while to fill up with people coming from the city, not that that would happen in the end.

It never happened, and it never will.

Snowdin would always stay the same. One timeline after another, the snow would always fall at the same speed, the cold weather would be constant, the murmur of the inhabitants, that soft warm sensation that stayed in your chest when you heard the snow under your feet.

Timeline after timeline, Snowdin would always be Dan's favorite place.

It was before the first human arrived to the Underground, even before he was trapped in the shape of a flower, before he became _Flowey the Flower_.

Before he met Phil.

Although Dan must admit that it was likely that his opinion about Snowdin had been slightly biased since _The Amazing Philip_ and his brother arrived at Snowdin. Not that he told anyone that, because definitely not, Dan did not made Snowdin the most important place for him, even more important than Waterfall or The Ruins, just because of Phil.

No, Snowdin was his favorite place even before Phil.

Maybe.

Timeline after timeline, maybe just maybe, snow wasn't the only thing that made Dan spend so much time in Snowdin. Maybe it was also the little skeleton that called himself _The Amazing Philip_ ¸ or Phil as he had told Dan to call him after the third time they spoke, on the first timeline that he passed like a flower.

Phil.

He still doesn't know how he can look at him and not think of the other millions of timelines. The millions of times he saw him cry, the millions of times he felt his bones crunching between his branches, the millions of times he heard him plead for mercy.

Oh, all the nights he had had nightmares about that, with his broken voice and shattered words always drilling through his mind, hurting him.

He deserved having those reminders; he deserved them, even when they were only blurred memories, consequences of restarting so many times.

The advantages of being a soulless being, he supposed.

And yet he returns to the same place, with snow under his branches being easily removed and with Dan almost forgetting that most of the time he can't feel anything anymore. He almost forgets that most of the time his thoughts have a war in his mind in which boredom wins, in which not even Phil's kindness can be saved.

Maybe that's why he likes Snowdin so much. It's the ease with which reality is displayed; it's the ease with which things happen, the simplicity of moments and memories. The complicity found in a smile given from afar, the inability to stop loving someone you have killed too many times.

Sometimes, Dan thinks, he can see the image of Phil torn apart standing between him and the smile he brings each time he returns for a quiet visit. Sometimes he tries to escape those demons that are breathing down the back of his neck, even though he is the only demon that can be found in this timeline.

Maybe it’s difficult to escape from yourself, although Dan can't deny trying.

Snow falls softly on Snowdin; Dan doesn't really know where so much snow comes from or why it falls only in this part of the Underground, but perhaps thinking so much has been what has gotten him the life he has led, so he prefers not to question it.

The snow just falls and Dan just looks at it.

It's simple.

A life full of restarts, friendships and murders, has led him to yearn for the simple things that everything could bring. That satisfaction that tranquility could sometimes bring with it, taking his mind and giving him that sense of security and belonging he lost by having restarted this world so much.

Dan knows that he is at the exact time and place, after so long he still remembers the place and time where he first met Phil.

Maybe this time he can afford a little of simplicity, maybe this time he can pause his mind and live the life he always wanted by Phil's side. Some months in the future the human, Frisk, would come and give everyone the freedom that they all desire so much, perhaps this time he can allow it finally.

Perhaps the time when he can forgive himself has come.

The sound of footsteps approaching doesn’t surprise him; he knows who is, he knows the right time, he knows the exact place.

Dan knows that as soon as he looks up the first thing he will see is the red cape which could be as well a scarf, waving in the cold air. The color red contrasting against the color of the snow, white as his cheeks. The flash of a blue color that he has only read in sky’ descriptions on human books in hollow places that should be colourless.

In this timeline or the other he is always close, with a kind smile, a piece of cloth tied to his neck trying to protect himself from a cold weather he doesn't feel, in the middle of a storm. Always rambling, filling silences that Dan could only fill with tears, because -as Dan never dared to ask him-, _how can you trust me if you don't know when I'm going to kill you next?_

A smile that makes him want to cry.

_I could never escape_ , Dan thinks, _I couldn't even try._

“Hello, little flower. I’m _The Amazing Philip.”_

A hesitation, the feeling of having met him millions of times before this. Dan chuckles to himself, because of course Phil could remember him. It’s a mystery how he always manages to forget all the pain that comes to remember him.

Maybe Phil just forgives him, he’s just kind like that.

Snow was falling gently on the roofs of all the houses in Snowdin, the timeline has been restarted and Dan thinks maybe in this one he can finally do the right thing. _Flowey's_ time is over; he must stop lying to himself.

A smile.

"Dan."

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed this please leave a comment, that would made me happy! :D
> 
> (also, i don't really know how to english, so if you find a typo or anything that is incoherent you can tell me!)
> 
> you can reblog this at [tumblr](http://etceteraseverywhere.tumblr.com/post/182353047556/lost-in-illusion-my-world-set-aside)!


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